Russell Patton, hand raised high, waits to be called on during Ines Barcenas' 6th grade math class at East Middle School in Aurora on March 13, 2018.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Obed Diaz and Ahtziri Arellano high five after a correct answer during Ines Barcenas' 6th grade math class at East Middle School in Aurora on March 13, 2018.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Ines Barcenas' 6th grade math teacher talks about the welfare of one of her students with principle Biaze Houston as classes change at East Middle School in Aurora on March 13, 2018.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

6th graders Jalon Ousley and Jorge Pacheco (right) shake after explaining their feelings and apologize with Yvette Roaf-Bess, restorative practice student liaison, as they work on repairing damage done and reintegrating back into the school community after an incident on the basketball court at East Middle School in Aurora on March 13, 2018.

Students in Aurora schools are less likely to be expelled or suspended than they were five years ago, but despite years of work to change inequities, black students are still more likely to be disciplined than their peers.

“That’s a continuing point of frustration for all of us,” said Rico Munn, Aurora schools superintendent. “We are happy to see our practices have gotten stronger, but the kind of consistency of that gap is a challenge.”

It’s not a particularly unique problem, but in the school district of Aurora, one of the most diverse cities in Colorado, the impact from the disparity can be magnified and can have an effect on academic achievement, something the district is trying to improve.

Aurora Public Schools has slowly made changes for years in an effort to close the so-called school-to-prison pipeline. Some of the district’s more in-depth work has been done with the Denver Foundation at 13 schools starting in 2013. (The foundation is a financial supporter of Chalkbeat.) The foundation has connected schools to nonprofits, including some that help school leaders use restorative justice.

But this year, in a new effort to curb those persistent gaps, instead of just helping schools use restorative practices, the foundation has recruited a well-known teacher training group to help teachers in one school incorporate restorative philosophy into their classrooms.

The foundation also is bringing together school leaders and other educators to have “uncomfortable” conversations about how a student’s race affects how educators perceive their behavior.

Proposed reforms to Denver Public Schools' special education program would bring more students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, change how kids learn to read and try to close disparities based on race and language.